Studera utomlands

One thing that I looked forward to knowing that I would be in Japan in the spring semester was witnessing the cherry blossom season. And truly, they are as beautiful as everyone says.

The weather this year has been unpredictable. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was snowing, and one week later, it was 27C. (Thankfully, it cooled down again). Due to the late snow and cold, the flowers were a bit delayed. We got to see the early blooming trees flower around mid and late February, but the main trees bloomed at the very end of March.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t exactly on our side then, either. Just as they all bloomed, it rained the whole week after… I got a bit worried since others told me that the petals are very fragile, so wind and rain might cause them to disappear even faster.

Nonetheless, I managed to see them and capture beautiful pictures between the rainy days, so here they are!

Sakura by the river 🌸

I walked by this river on my way home by coincidence during a Thursday night and suddenly saw that the trees have bloomed. Knowing that it would rain during the weekend, I returned early the next morning to see them in the park.

This was my first time seeing rows of cherry blossoms along the river, and even though it was a very humid and warm day, I enjoyed the short time I spent there.

I came back a week later in the weekend once the weather improved, and I was happy to see they were still as beautiful.

I learnt about this Japanese custom called “hanami”, which translates to “flower viewing”. Since it was the weekend, a lot of people were enjoying hamani while they picnicked in the park among the trees.

Sakura in Temples 🌸

I came to this temple close to campus with a friend after seeing someone recommend it on Instagram, and this was my favourite place to have seen them.

The trees were planted densely in this small area, so everywhere you look is just a sea of flowers. It was truly mesmerising. Both of us were running very short on time, and it was our biggest regret. I would have loved to just sit quietly and watch the flowers.

This temple is mainly a burial ground, so it was quiet, unlike many other places. However, that also means that you should be respectful when taking pictures.

If you walk up the steps of the temple, it really is just a sea of flowers that meets your eyes. I don’t think pictures really captured their beauty properly.

This next picture was taken a week later in a different temple close to where I live.

It was truly an experience to have been able to see the sakuras in full bloom in Japan, and I’m glad to have witnessed it! I hope some of you will get that opportunity one day as well!

Introductory image: Rows of cherry blossoms on both sides of the river. Picture by: Yi Cheng Chng